BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

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BWI Daily: Names to know for 2023, junior day visits Jan 21, 2022

Show notes

While the current Penn State Nittany Lions are hard at work in the weight room, the coaching staff is busy trying to secure the program's future. Midway through the January open period, Penn State hosts its next junior day tomorrow. So, recruiting insider Ryan Snyder joins the BWI Daily Edition to cover a wide range of recruiting topics.

They start with the second junior day coming up on Saturday in Happy Valley. As always, the weekend is more than the name implies because Penn State is mostly hosting run-on candidates this weekend. That being said, Snyder has a list of names attending this weekend that fans should know. Check out the episode to get the full list.

After bringing up several names attending this weekend and how they fit at Penn State, the two move on to coaching travel during the open period. Snyder fills Penn State fans in on where the coaching staff has been this week and what recruits they visit. A few eye-opening visits and situations are fascinating, including with tackle prospect Cole Surber. Hear what has gone down with his recruitment and what that might mean for Penn State.

Head coach James Franklin was on the road too, visiting several places, including a basketball game between crucial recruit for the Class of 2023, Rodney Gallagher and 2024 phenom Quinton Martin.

Finally, the pair discuss the recruitment of Vega Ioane. The four-star offensive lineman from Washington is a recent offer, and since their last conversation, Snyder has gotten more information on Penn State's plan for recruiting Ioane.

Monday

BWI Live

BWI Daily edition with Thomas Frank Carr

Tuesday

Recruiting podcast with Ryan Snyder and Greg Pickel

BWI Daily edition with Thomas Frank Carr

Wednesday

BWI Daily edition with Thomas Frank Carr

Thursday

BWI Daily edition with Thomas Frank Carr

Friday

BWI Daily edition with Thomas Frank Carr

BWI Daily: Winter workouts, Senior Bowl and Nick Singleton Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football started winter workouts this week, and several players are already drawing praise for their performance. Host Thoma Frank Carr and senior Editor for Blue White Illustrated, Nate Bauer, discuss that and more on the show.

They start by discussing praise from new strength and conditioning coordinator Chuck Losey for Clifford’s work during the speed session of winter workouts. Losey mentioned Clifford’s training app and how the sixth-year senior is performing at a standout level in a Tweet from earlier in the week. Bauer and T-Frank discuss the merits of this praise and how it may seem familiar to Penn State fans. However, they also explain why it’s still valid and essential. After that, T-Frank explains why it also makes an uphill task for the young quarterbacks to unseat Clifford as the starter.

From there, they discuss Penn State running back Nick Singleton’s newest award and how his presence along with the development of some other young offensive players could infuse hope in fans for next season. Does Bauer agree? T-Frank singles out two players that can change the trajectory of the Penn State running game for their unique skills.

Next, they discuss a social media post from sports personality Taylor Rooks. Rooks commented on Rams receiver Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this week, which resonated with Penn State football players.

Does situation determine everything in football? The guys debate the merits of her comments and then give examples of both positive and negative situations that affected Penn State players last season. T-Fank cautions about applying this thought liberally to football for an important reason.

Finally, they look at the players that are participants in the 2022 Senior Bowl as of recording. While more are still expected to come, T-Frank and Nate discuss which players have the most to gain from their participation in the week of practices, culminating in the Senior Bowl game on February 5th.

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BWI Daily: How Penn State's passing game can be better next year Jan 19, 2022

Show notes

Rosters constantly churn in college football, but this week, we have a better idea of what Penn State football will look like next fall. With that in mind, the host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, thinks that Penn State's passing attack can be different and better in 2022. Transfer Mitchell Tinsley changes aspects of the Nittany Lion passing attack that can alter how they generate explosive plays.

Before that, T-Frank sets the scene by talking about the Penn State offensive line. With the significant change up front comes considerable uncertainty. He addresses what that future could look like and uses a recent memory to remind fans that things don't always work out the way you expect. He does this to temper expectations both ways about how that unit will perform next season.

Secondarily, he reminds viewers of Sean Clifford's playing style. Unfortunately, Clifford's abilities aren't the perfect fit for how offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich wants to win. Still, the sixth-year quarterback had operated the offense effectively before injuries marred the second half of last year.

T-Frank thinks the skill players Penn State has amassed with that in mind. he thinks they can win differently from last year's group, which can take the pressure off of Clifford while still generating big plays through the passing game. First, T-Frank explains how broken tackles by receivers have different values depending on where and how they happen and then shows Penn State's productivity from last season. After that, he shows how Tinsley fits into the picture. His skills differ from former receiver Jahan Dotson, and his playstyle could potentially fit better with Clifford.

With a few tweaks to receiver Parker Washington's usage and improved play from the tight ends, Penn State's passing attack has a chance to be dangerous next season.

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BWI Daily: Clarity on Penn State roster after spring update Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football gave clarity to their roster a week after starting the spring semester. Sixteen players left the roster as of Monday, and while there were no shocking subtractions, they do leave an impact in their absence. That's what host Thomas Frank Carr and senior Editor Nate Bauer of Blue White illustrated discuss today on the show.

They start with a player who had a frustrating end to a solid career in center Mike Miranda. While some fans may be happy to see the end of Mirdana after struggling last season, Bauer notes that he did leave an impact by his play and presence on the field for Penn State. T-Frank explains how the once-promising interior lineman found himself consistently performing under expectations in his final season. He notes that while Miranda didn't change as a player, the cast around him and his position switch hampered his production.

From there, they discuss another name that is more curious than anything in cornerback AJ Lytton. The former Florida State corner came to Penn State late in the transfer process and never found a defense home. But, according to T-Frank, unlike Miranda, Lytton leaves an imprint on Penn State for not playing.

Next, they move on to examine the career of receiver Cam Sullivan-Brown. First, Bauer chronicles Sullivan-Brown's snake bit time at Penn State and how he was seemingly just a step away from being a factor for the Nittany Lions offense. After that, T-Frank uses Sullivan-Brown as a cautionary tale for listening to one particular type of quote coming from coaches during the pre-season. Then, he uses that lesson to share his feelings about certain players for next year.

They discuss a similar story with defensive tackle Fred Hansard and his unfortunate run at Penn State, marred by injury. This discussion leads them to a larger one about the reality of college football and the hard truths that it presents. From there, they wrap up focusing on the program's future and what Penn State fans can learn from these stories.

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Recruiting Pod: Junior day recap & contact period resumes Jan 18, 2022

Show notes

Penn State hosted its first January junior day in two years this past weekend. The visit list was stacked with talent, with 10 four-star players making the trip and a little under 20 scholarship players total.

Although it didn't lead to any immediate commitments, James Franklin and his Penn State assistants hosted a handful of players who are clearly leaning in PSU's direction. That could prove to be fruitful once spring rolls around and players are able to see their other options.

On today's Blue White Illustrated recruiting podcast, Ryan Snyder and Greg Pickel look back on Saturday's junior day, highlighting a handful of players that fans need to know moving forward. Offensive offensive tackle prospects Evan Link, from Washington, D.C., and Samson Okunlola, from Brockton, Mass., are among a few they discuss at length.

The transfer portal also remains a popular topic, and Penn State stopped in to see two of their top targets Monday. Vanderbilt tackle Tyler Steen and Cornell guard Hunter Nourzad both won't enroll at their next school until the summer, but Penn State put on a full-court press Monday. The guys get into the details on both players, as well the plan for the portal moving forward.

They wrap up today's podcast discussing the resumption of the contact period, which began this past Friday, Jan. 14. Franklin and his assistant will be out on the road these next two weeks to meet with players and coaches up and down the East Coast. Ryan gets into a few of the expected stops for Tuesday, which includes a handful of quarterback prospects that offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has interest in.

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BWI Daily: Junior day reaction, wrestling update with Greg Pickel Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football's first Junior Day was Saturday in Happy Valley. Hours before the first snowstorm of the season hit the region, head coach James Franklin and his staff hosted dozens of potential commits for The Class of 2023 and beyond. As recruiting insider for Blue White Illustrated Ryan Snyder mentioned last week, the goal is to formally introduce recruits to Penn State and give them the essentials of the program.

How did they do at that? What are the biggest takeaways from this past weekend? Reporter Greg Pickel was following the developments this weekend and joined the BWI Daily Edition to give his impressions of Junior Day and give Penn State fans the essentials of what happened over the weekend.

Host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, starts by asking Pickel his most significant takeaways from the weekend and his general impressions of what fans should know. Next, they took a look at two players making their way up from Florida, defensive linemen Derrick LeBalanc and John Walker. LeBlanc and Walker are teammates at Osceola high school and were up this weekend to take in the event.

While both are important recruits, they each represent something interesting. First, they start with LeBlanc, who had an interesting comment from the weekend that T-Frank thinks is revealing. That leads them to a conversation about Franklin's personality as a coach and the potential disconnect between Penn State fans and their head coach despite commonalities. LeBlanc's comments also lead to a conversation bout name, image, and likeness and Penn State's current progress in that department.

Next, they discuss what Walker represents as a prospect. He has a different profile than the players Penn State has recruited at the defensive tackle position in recent years. Should the Nittany Lions target more players like Walker? Pickel gives his thoughts, and T-Frank explains what he's seen from the Nittany Lions' recruiting efforts on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Finally, they wrap up with an update on the Penn State wrestling team. Pickel covered the dual victory over Rutgers for Blue White Illustrated, and he gives his impressions on how head coach Cael Sanderson's new-look lineup fared in their first dual. Is this a championship-level group? Pickel provides his insights into that and more from the weekend.

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BWI Live: The most important players for Penn State this offseason Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football has not had nearly as much turnover as anticipated this offseason. The Nittany Lions have had just one transfer into the program and a handful left. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t more to come that hasn’t been announced.

Yet as it stands, Penn State enters the second week of the spring semester with their roster seemingly set. So how should Penn State fans feel about what head coach James Franklin and his staff have done so far? Do they have to make any changes before the spring?

The BWI Live crew will talk about that and more today at noon. Host Thomas Frank Carr takes you through the essential topics of the week for Penn State football with senior editor of Blue White Illustrated Nate Bauer and reporter Dave Eckert. The trio will discuss the roster, important players this offseason, and more.

They’ll also take your questions live! So join the BWI Live show today at noon, only on YouTube.

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BWI Daily: Junior day visitor preview, new offer goes out in the Class of 2022 Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

Penn State football is exiting a dead period in recruiting, and how has the month of January to host recruits and make visits. With the first junior day on January 15th, Penn State recruiting insider Ryan Snyder joins the BWI Daily Edition to give viewers a breakdown of what to expect this weekend and for the rest of the month.

Host Thomas Frank Carr starts with the basics for those unfamiliar with recruiting and how the calendar works. First, he asks Snyder what Junior Days are, how they work, and their benefit. How important are they? They discuss the evolution of this process over time and how the term "Junior Day" doesn't exactly fit with the modern weekend process.

Next, they discuss how Penn State's attendee list has developed and compares it to previous years. With 2020 shutting down all recruiting visits last season, Snyder gives a broader view than just the immediate past. After that, he lets fans know some of the important names coming to Happy Valley this weekend.

This list for this weekend isn't the only time that Penn State will have recruits on campus. Snyder explains how many Junior Day weekends there are in the month and just how many players will come through campus in January. Finally, he gives examples of players that have committed during the event to give fans an idea of what might happen this month. Even if it's unlikely, it never hurts to be prepared.

After wrapping up their conversation about recruiting for the Class of 2022, T-Frank and Snyder discuss a piece of news that came out yesterday relating to the class of 2022. The traditional recruiting deadline is over the horizon, and Penn State has sent a new offer to 2022 offensive lineman Vega Ioane. The pair share what they know about the four-star recruit from Washington and then put his offer into perspective. They both agree that this might signal that Penn State is shifting plans from a critical area of talent acquisition this offseason.

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BWI Daily: Noah Cain to the portal, TE breakdown and wrestling with Greg Pickel Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

The expectation this offseason was that Penn State football would lose players in the transfer portal. That has become the norm in college football since its inception several years ago. While players come and go, the names of those players can still draw attention. Former starting running back Noah Cain announced his decision to leave Penn State on Wednesday evening in a surprise move. Host of the BWI Daily Edition discusses the action with his guests on the show, Nate Bauer and Greg Pickel.

While the move is surprising to some degree, it is not a devastating one for Penn State. Bauer joins the show first to view Cain's career at Penn State and how injury frustrations left him looking for a new home.

Next, they have a lengthy discussion about the tight end production at Penn State in 2021. This past season, the trio of pass-catchers had lofty expectations after James Franklin effused praise for the group. While it's clear they didn't live up to that standard as a group, did they make progress this past season? Were there any signs of life? T-Frank dives into the numbers and breaks things out several ways to inspect the results. First, he looks at a rather decisive shift halfway through the season and then gives context to that information. Then, Bauer follows up with his group observations, including a critical moment in the season that might have caused that shift.

After that, T-Frank inspects the run blocking of each player. Once again, Franklin's comments early in the season shaped a perception about the trio that T-Frank doesn't believe is accurate. Next, he shows a decisive change in tight end Brenton Strange and progression from Tyler Warren. After that, Bauer provides more context from Franklin's comments to support that.

Next, T-Frank speaks to reporter Greg Pickel about Noah Cain's departure from the program. He gets Pickel's perspective on Cain's career and what he thinks is in store for the future of the former four-star commit in 2019.

Then they dive into Penn State wrestling's mid-season transfer moves. Penn State recently picked up a key pair of additions, and Pickel discusses how those additions will impact the lineup. He also gives a brief education to unfamiliar listeners about how the staff chooses wrestlers and how those athletes compete for a spot in the lineup.

Finally, he wraps up the show by explaining Penn State's challenges fielding a healthy roster and what to expect this weekend when they host Rutgers.

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BWI Daily: Transfer Portal scouting and hoops update Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

Penn State head coach James Franklin said that the team would be active in the transfer portal this offseason during his early signing day press conference. However, the spring semester has started at Penn State, and only one transfer, receiver Mitchell Tinsley, has joined the Nittany Lions.

However, that doesn't mean that there aren't players in the portal that Penn State should be interested in bringing to campus. Host of the BWI Daily Edition, Thomas Frank Carr, brings up two players at the most critical position for Penn State to fill this offseason, offensive line. T-Frank starts the show by giving a quick scouting report of former Virginia right tackle Ryan Swoboda, and Vanderbilt left tackle Tyler Sheen.

Swoboda's name has been linked to Penn State for a while now, with the 6-10 tackle entering the portal some time ago. So what should you know about his game? T-Frank explains what he's seen on tape.

Sheen is relatively new in the portal, entering his name earlier in the week. T-Frank gives a quick summation of the three-year player at Vanderbilt and explains the pros and cons of each player.

Next, he gives a quick preview of a future topic for Penn State football, the tight end room. The trio of young players at that position came into the season with high expectations set by Franklin after calling them the country's deepest room. Was it all as bad as it seems? T-Frank gives a quick preview of that topic, which he'll dig deeper into later this week.

After that, he switches gears and brings in Blue White Illustrated's basketball reporters to talk about Penn State Hoops. The team has won three of their last four games and is now .500 in Big Ten competition. Senior Editor Nate Bauer and reporter Dave Eckert break down the team identity and their impressions of head coach Micah Shrewsberry in his first season.

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